The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-28
Christmas in Olden Times.


Our modern celebration of Christmas
is but tame affair in comparison with
the festive honors paid it in the olden
times. Herbert Spencer has been preach
ing to US the 'gospel of relaxation" as a
change of doctrine desirable after the ex-
cessive teaching of the "gospel of hard
work" Hc would have posed as the in
culcator of the opposite creed had he
lived in ''merry England" in the feudal
times.
What sportful, feasting days those
must have been! In the grim castle and
the baronial hall, and stately houses of
less dignified appellation than these, the
business of All Hallow Eve, that of the
thirty first day of October, was the ap-
pointment of the Lord of Misrule, whose
reign of revelry lasted till Candlemas
Day, or the second of February of the
next year. This jolly functionary pre-
sided over the sports proper to the
season in those days of magnificent re.
taxation. Gaming, music, conjuring,
blnd-man's buff and other boisterous
recreations were indulged in almost in
cessantly, under his superintendent,
during the long interval between these
two dates; and the fun was at its hight
when Christmas came. Then fantastic
spectacles, supported by persons wearing
grotesque masks and singular costumes,
were made additional sources of amuse-
ment. The least familiar Of the sports
mentioned, "dipping," may still
be seen at holiday times in England
and also in this country. With their
hands tied behind them, the dippers
attempted to pick apples or other things
from a large vessel full of water, in
which floated the objects to be removed.
A reward followed success, while good
wetting and much amusement, on the
part respectively of the dipper and those
who observed him, always accompanied
the endeavor successful or otherwise.
The vast room in which the feastlng and
sports took place was bare of any except
ing massive furniture of oak, which deted
injury from the toughest sport. On the
heavy oaken table generous viands and
abundance of good drink were served
with astonishing frequency, and it was
always literally provided for all who
chose to take. Everybody was welcome
to its hospitalities. Rich and poor met
together at the board on O footing of
perfect equality. The peasant was ap-
plauded for his practical Joke played on
the squire or the nobleman. Rank did
not save from good -natured ridicule, nor
poverty prevent the clamorous approval
of superior wit or dexterity. The floor
was 'uncarpeted, and the rough house
keeping of those days was compatible
with their rude manners and course
abundance. For breakfast and supper
boar's head was the proper dish. The
monster had an apple in his mouth. and
his tuskcd, unamiable aspect had some re-
lief in the garnishing of rosemary and
other plants in which the grim head was
set. Mince pies and plum porridge were
certain concomitants in the feasting.
The spicy nutbrown ole flowed in abund-
ance.
Christmas Eve was the jolliest time OF
all in the long carnival of feast and JOY
and rerelry. Its crowning ceremony was
bringing in the yule log from the neigh
boring forest. AS q matter of course, the
Lord of Misrule presided at this cere-
mony The horses or oxen were gaily
decked for the occasion. Every person
who met the joyful procession on its way
raised his hat in honor OF the log now
bound to the burning. Thrown into the
spacious fire. place, its fierce heat soon
bubbled the liquor in the generous depths
of the wassail- bowl, the steaming con-
tents of which were drunk, while its
praises, sung with boisterous hilarity,
echoed from the rafters of the hall. Guar
rels and misunderstanding were drowned
in its depths. The log was not left in
the fireplace to be entirely consumed,
but the charred lump constituting It's re-
mains, was kept in the house for the pur-
pose of bringing good luck. Its value
in this respect was, ut least, equal to that
of the horseshoe. Moreover, as precau-
ton against fire, it was an excellent thing
to have in the house, and certainly many
houses provided with it did not take fire
during the entire year till the next hTist-
mas Eve. But these valuable properties
of the log were prevented if. willie it was
burning, q squirting person entered the
room-our straightforward English an
cestors seem to have abhorred obliquity
of vision or one with bare feet, or flat
footed representative of the sweet sex.
Its glorious consumption by the fire was
accompanied with the illumination made
by the yule candle, which, in many cases.
was set in Il costly and elaboratcly deco
rated candlcstick. Readers who have
visited Europe will not be surprised to
read that the yule log was often of great
size, as probably they have sat in the
chimney corner by the roaring fire and
looked through the spacious chimneys
of an old English house, at the stars shin
ing overhead.
The Little Christmas Sweeper.